The motor and cognitive development of overweight preschool children

The aim of this study was to investigate the development of overweight compared with healthy-weight children attending kindergartens in Munich, Germany. Mean age of the children at the beginning of the study was 53.2 months (SD?=?7.5); the duration of the study was 20 months. At the beginning of the study children were classified as overweight (n?=?32) or healthy weight (n?=?318) using BMI scores. Dependent variables were aspects of physical growth, physical fitness, body coordination, manual dexterity, and cognitive performance. A higher rate of socially disadvantaged children was overweight compared with socially advantaged children. There was no association between weight and sex. Motor skills improved over trials. Socially disadvantaged and overweight children performed less well in gross motor skills compared with children from backgrounds of higher socioeconomic (SE) status or healthy-weight children. There was also an association between weight and socioeconomic status: overweight children of lower SE status performed less well compared with overweight children of upper SE status in all gross motor tasks. No connection could be found between weight and manual dexterity and cognitive performance.     

高等教育制度变迁中的制度创立者、机遇和预见

本文利用美国和德国高等教育制度变迁的历史比较数据,试图对导致制度变迁的三类因素的普遍性和运行机制进行评价。这些因素是:机遇(或外因)、内因以及理性的人类预见。其中理性预见是引起制度变迁的因素当中最少出现的,笔者例举了制度创立者和政府对制度变迁的干预来加以说明,并讨论了这些干预的相对效果。     

Stichwort: Ganztagsschule

Ohne Zusammenfassung      

The effects of cooperative learning and feedback on e-learning in statistics

This study examined whether cooperative learning and feedback facilitate situated, example-based e-learning in the field of statistics. The factors “social context” (individual vs. cooperative) and “feedback intervention” (available vs. not available) were varied; participants were 137 university students. Results showed that the feedback intervention clearly supported learning. Feedback proved especially beneficial for students with little prior knowledge. Cooperation did not promote learning outcomes; however, group performance in the learning phase was superior to individual performance. Also, cooperative learning enhanced perceived performance and perceived competence. Probably, collective efficacy had a halo effect on self-efficacy.     

Media Publications from Europe

Viktor Ergert, 50 Jahre Rundfunk in Osterreich [50 Years of Broadcasting in Austria], Volume III: 1955-1967 (Residenz Verlag-Publishing House, Imbergstrasse 9, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria—250 Austrian schillings)

Hans Heinz Fabris and Herta Kreuzhuber. Das Internationale Jahr Der Frau 1975 Und die Darstellung von Frauenthemen in den Osterreichischen Massenmedien International Women Year and Its Effects on Austrian Mas s Media (Prof. Dorothea Gaudart, Federal Ministry of Social Administration, Stubenring 1, A-1010 Vienna, Austria—apparently free on request)

Hans Fellinger, Medien Und Gewerkschaften [Media and the Trade Unions] (Verlag des OeGB, Raffaelgasse 12-14, A-1200 Vienna, Austria—75 Austrian schillings)

Juergen Prott, Bewusstsein von Journalisten [Consciousness of Journalists] (Europaische Verlagsanstalt, Deutz-Kalker-Strasse 46, Box 210 140, D-5000, Cologne 21, Federal Republic of Germany—about $10.00 (U.S. funds) but check with the publisher)

Winfried B. Lerg and Rolf Steininger, Rundfunk und Politik[Broadcastinq and Politics], 1923-1973 (Verlag Volker Spiess, Grossgorschenstrasse 6, D-1 Berlin 32, Federal Republic of Germany—about $14.00 in U.S. funds)

Verbizh Rainer and Peter Hueber, Lokales Fernsehen [Local Television]. (Videoinitiative Graz, Videostudio, Paulustorgasse 4, A-8010 Graz, Austria— 80 Austrian schillings)

Klaus-Detlef Funke and Ernst Theilen, Pressefreiheit und Mitbestimmung EPress Freedom and Participation] (Verlag Neue Gesellschaft, Koelner Str. 143, D-5300 Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Federal Republic of Germany—DM 16.00)

Marlene Stein-Hilbers, Kriminalitaet im Fernsehen [The Portrayal of Crime on TV] (Ferdinand Enke Verlag, Herdweg 63, D-7000, Stuttgart 1, Federal Republic of Germany— about $13.00 in U.S. funds)

Pierre Albert, Histoire de la Presse Politique Nationale au Début de la IIIène République (1871-1879) (to be published in fall of 1978: Librairie Champion, 7 rue Malaquais, 75007 Paris—apply for price)

Pierce Albert, La France, Les Etats-Unis et Leurs Presses (Centre National d'Art de la Culture Georges Pompidou, 1977—140 French francs)

Renge Bgdarida Les Armes de L'Esprit: Témoignage Chrétien (Paris: Editions Ouvrieres, 1977—60 FF)

Proscop Media: Le Marché des Media en France, 1977/1978 (Institut Proscop, 25 rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris—300 FF)     

Case-based learning in virtual groups – collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes in a virtual professional training course

This article analyzes the collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes of five groups that worked on two different complex cases in a virtual professional training course. In this asynchronous virtual learning environment, all knowledge management content was delivered virtually and collaboration took place through forums. To measure the effects of the problem solving activities, learners' contributions were analyzed with respect to four different problem solving activities: Two content-specific problem solving activities, namely gathering information and developing a solution, and two coordination-specific problem solving activities, namely planning the common approach and steering the interaction process. Results indicated that the learning process was dominated by two central activities: developing a solution and steering the interaction process. Furthermore, the results indicated that the groups with the more complex case used more overall problem solving activities than the groups with the less complex case. There was also a greater range of learning outcomes for learners with the more complex case than for learners with the less complex case. Finally, the number of overall problem solving activities for most of the successful groups was higher than for the less successful groups. Additionally, the more successful groups used more coordination-specific activities than content-specific activities during the problem solving process.     

British running performances in the eighteenth century

Our aims were to improve our understanding of human performance before 1850 and to put nineteenth- and twentieth-century performances into a broader historical context. Consequently, 536 foot-races performed in Britain in the 'long' eighteenth century were identified, 53 of which were analysed in detail. The best performances at the end of the eighteenth century were compared with those at the end of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The data for the nineteenth century were marginally better than those for the eighteenth century up to 20 km, but beyond that Thomas Carlisle's time, set in about 1740, of 2 hours for 21 miles was outstanding. Current records are shown to be better than earlier records at all distances from 5 km up to the marathon, the superiority being most pronounced from 15 km upwards.